Stacking frames for pallets



April 1959 n K. M CONNELL 3,438,343

STACKING FRAMES FOR PALLETS Sheet of 3 FiledMaroh 30, 1967 i i I I I IN I ENTOR. 5 "kCuwngQ r I l I II April 15, 1969 K. M CONNELL STAGKING FRAMES FOR PALLETS Sheet 3 of 5 Filed March so. 1967 C INVENTOR. (ma Mc ('avmdl. BY wmfew. 9.87%-

April 15, 1969 MCCQNNELL STACKING FRAMES FOR PALLETS 3 of3 U Sheet Filed March 30, 1967 United States Patent 3,438,343 STACKING FRAMES FOR PALLETS Kennedy McConnell, Riverdale. Ill., assignor to Interlake Steel Corporation, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of New York Filed Mar. 30, 1967, Ser. No. 627,115 Int. Cl. B65d 19/14, 21/02 US. Cl. 10853 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to the art of pallets for handling and storing articles and to an improved pallet structure for use in stacking pallets in vertical tiers.

Ordinarily, pallets of the type to which this invention relates are employed in warehouse and storage areas for stacking loads of merchandise and other articles. The pallets are often shipped with the articles already stacked on them and, the pallets provide separate units which can be easily handled for temporary storage in transit or at their final destination. .In certain warehouse installations, permanent storage racks for storage of the pallets are not available or are undesirable. Without racks, the loaded pallets occupy large floor areas causing uneconomical use of space in the warehouse. With the type of pallet structure of this invention, it is possible to palletize the loads in unitary palletized cubicles which can be readily stacked in vertical tiers.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved stacking pallet construction having a superstructure which can be easily mounted on and detached from a standard commercial pallet without requiring the use of tools and which, when assembled on the pallet, is structurally sound, rigid and provides a unit which can be stacked in vertical tiers with other similar units with heavy loads sustained by all of the pallets.

It is another object of the invention to provide an improved superstructure for a stacking pallet unit which has an ordinary commercial pallet and has parts which are easily assembled to each other in a secure manner, but which can be easily disassembled from each other and from the pallet as required, all without any modification of the pallet.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an improved pallet structure employing high production standard pallet rack components in order to minimize the cost and provide the advantages of a standard pallet rack.

It is another object of the invention to provide an improved superstruct-ure for a stacking pallet unit which has a substantially rectangular or square top supporting structure which can be conveniently used to support another similar stacking pallet in a secure manner so that a stack of the stacking pallet units can extend in a stable vertical tier without fear of accidental slipping or sliding oif of one unit relative to another.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a stacking pallet unit of the type mentioned which can be accommodated with improved hardware connections for dividing the unit into shelved portions or which may also ice be divided into a bin or bins with side walls conveniently attached thereto so that the bin or bins can be filled with small loose articles and suitably retained without chance of their accidentally falling out of the bins.

Other objects and advantages of the invention should become apparent upon reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view, partially cutaway, ot a stacking pallet unit made according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway front elevation of one of the U-shaped stacking frame members employed it the stacking pallet unit shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway front elevation of a horizontal beam member assembled between the side portions of two U-shaped frame members of the type shown ir FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 shows a partially cutaway top plan view of the portion of the structure shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 shows a sectional view along the line 55 01 FIG. 3 and particularly indicates a preferred releasable connecting means for connecting a horizontal beam tc a U-shaped frame member;

FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of the channel shapec' connector plate and its connection to a U-shaped frame member and which is employed for connecting the horizontal beam members to the U-shaped frame members FIG. 7 shows a foot member of the type attached to the base of each leg of a U-s'haped frame member;

FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of a clip employed ir a leg member of a U-shaped frame member for accommodating one edge of a side wall mounted on the stacking pallet unit; and

FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of another clip for supporting shelf members employed with the stacking pallet unit.

As shown in FIG. 1, a typical commercial pallet 1 consists of three stringers 2 arranged in parallel to and at spaced intervals from each other. These stringers 2 provide the support for a plurality of top boards 3 and bottom boards 4. The top boards 3 and the bottom boards 4 extend approximately parallel to each other and the top boards 3 are spaced from the bottom boards 4 by means of the stringers 2. Ordinarily, these boards are wooden and they are nailed to each other to form the assembled pallet 1. The spacing of the stringers 2 provide twc openings 5 and 6 which can accommodate the forks of a lift truck to facilitate manipulation of the pallet.

In order to combine the pallet 1 into a unitary cubicle or stacking pallet unit, a superstructure 7 is connected to the pallet 1. The basic elements of the superstructure 7 are two U-shaped frames 8 and two horizontal beams 9.

Each U-shaped frame 8 consists of two vertical legs or posts 10 having foot members 11 and 12 welded or otherwise permanently secured to the lower ends of the post 10. The upper ends of the posts are provided with horizontal rails 13 which are also welded or otherwise secured to the posts It) at their ends. At the corner juncture of the ends of the rails 13 and the posts 10 are welded or otherwise secured channel-shaped connector members 14. These channel shaped container members 14, as better shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 6, are provided with key-shaped openings 15 and round openings 16 for accommodating connections between the horizontal beams 9 and the U-shaped frame members 8.

The horizontal beams 9 are channel shaped in crosssection and provided with L-shaped end flanges 9a welded or otherwise permanently secured thereto. The front portion 9b of each flange member 9a is provided with two projecting studs 9c which have enlarged ends 9d of slightly smaller diameter than the largest opening portion of the keyhole openings 15 so that they can be inserted through these keyhole openings. The keyhole openings 15 are :apered downwardly into narrower portions so that the :nlarged ends 9d can be retained in the openings by noving the studs 9c downwardly in alignment with the iarrower portions of the keyhole openings 15. Continued Jrging of movement of the studs 90 downwardly along the :onfines of the keyhole openings 15 provides a Wedging action which increases the tightness of the connections of the studs 9c in the keyhole openings 15. Removal of the Jeams is achieved by elevating the beam to, in turn, elevate the studs 9c so that their headed ends 9d are aligned with the larger portions of the keyhole openings 15d through which they can be readily removed.

As especially indicated in FIGS. 3 and 5, a locking lever 17 is provided on each end flange 9a. Each locking lever is provided with a headed connecting pin 18 positioned in a keyhole opening 19 in its end flange 9a. The locking lever 17 is preferably made of flexible spring steel and provided with a locking pin 20 secured adjacent to its upper end. When the horizontal beam 9 is positioned with the studs 9c properly engaged in locking position in the keyhole openings 15, the dimensions of the locking lever 17 are such that the locking pin 20 drops into one of the openings 16 in the channel shaped member 14. This locking pin 20 prevents accidental lifting of the beam 9 relative to the U-shaped frame members 8 to eliminate the chance of accidental disassembly of the beam from the U-shaped frame member 8. This type of connection is disclosed in the copending application of Kennedy McConnell et al., Ser. No. 555,351, filed June 6, 1966, now US. Patent No. 3,392,848, although other forms of locking means can also be employed.

Each of the posts 10 and the horizontal rails 13 are of identical channel shaped cross-section and are standard commercial pallet rack shapes. Likewise, the beams 9 are of standard pallet rack shapes so that the only special parts involved are the channel shaped connector members 14 and the foot members 11 and 12.

As is evident in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the foot members are of opposite hand. The foot member 11 on the left is a mirror image of the foot member 12 on the right. Each U-shaped frame member 8 carries one each of these foot members 11 and 12. For purposes of illustration, one of the foot members 11 is shown enlarged in FIG. 7. This foot member 11, as previously explained, is welded or otherwise permanently secured to a post 10. The foot member 11 consists of a substantially flat horizontal plate 21 which is oriented to rest upon the upper surface of one of the upper boards 3 of a pallet 1 to which it is assembled. Extending outwardly of the post 10 and downwardly from the plate 21 is a toe member 22 which has two inwardly projecting flanges 23 and 24 spaced below the plate 21 by an amount more than the thick ness of a top board 3 of the pallet 1. This spacing is that which is between the edges 23a and 24a of the flanges 23 and 24 and the lower surface of the plate 21. These flanges 23 and 24 assemble to the pallet by straddling the two opposite sides of a stringer 2 on the pallet frame. At the inner end of the plate 21 is a downwardly turned hook portion 25 which curves back upward slightly. It is intended that this hook portion 25 hang over the inner edge of one of the upper boards 3 upon which the plate rests. This means of assembly is clearly evident in FIG. 1. With this foot structure, the toe 22 prevents inward movement of each post 10 longitudinally of the stringer 2 with which it is associated and the flanges 23 and 24 prevent movement of a post transversely of the direction of the stringer the flanges 23 and 24 straddle. Likewise, the hook 25 at the front of the plate 21 minimizes the possibility of spreading apart of one post 10 relative to the other of the two posts 10 on a single U-shaped frame 8.

In order to insure tight assembly of a U-shaped frame 8 on a pallet, each frame is provided with an inward bias of its two legs 10 toward each other of about inch less than the length of a pallet to which the frame 4 8 be spread away from each other and then permitted to spring back toward each other to clamp against the pallet. Sufl'lcient spreading is required so that the flanges 23 and 24 clear the ends of the stringer 2 engaged thereby.

When the stacking pallet unit is completely assembled, as indicated in FIG. 1, with two U-shaped frames 8 and two horizontal beams 9 in place, the entire structure is a rigid unitized cubicle which can withstand heavy loading. Because of its rectangular or square-shaped top, it is convenient to mount another entire identical unit 26 (FIG. 1) on top of the first unit and as many units as conveniently desired can be stacked above unit 26, within the structural limits of each unit.

If the unit is to be divided with horizontal shelves, a special clip 27 is indicated in FIG. 9 for this purpose. The clip 27 is substantially L-shaped with a vertical back portion 27a and a horizontal ledge portion 27b. The back portion 27a is provided with a hook 270 sheared and bent away from the back wall 27a. This hook 27c is adapted to project into one of a plurality of round holes 10a in the posts 10. A side shoulder flange 2711 is bent at a right angle to the back portion 27a and is spaced to engage along a wall 10b of a post 10. The ledge portion 27b is also provided with a side flange 27e which extends vertically. It acts as an abutment for a shelf 28 supported by a plurality of these clips 27 mounted on the posts 10. As indicated in FIG. 1, a square shelf 28 is supported by means of clips 27 mounted on the post 10. By providing locations of the holes 10a at various levels along the post 10, it is possible to arrange the clips 27 at Whatever level is desired so that the shelf 28 can be positioned at a preferred level. By the use of clips at different levels, it is possible to provide the stacking pallet unit with various levels of shelves.

If side walls are to be employed, it is possible to employ the clips shown in FIG. 8. Clip 29 is of substantially U-shape and fits in the space between the two flanges 10b of a post 10. The clip 29 has side flanges 29a which limit the entry of the clip 29 in the opening 30. Top flanges 2% are provided on the clip and spaced from each other by an opening 290 of less than the width of a panel to be inserted in the opening 290. When assembled with panels, the flanges 29b position on the upper edge of the panel used as a wall. Also, as indicated in FIG. 1, the clips 29 can be used to retain the lower panel portions which rest on the flanges 29b extending below the panel edge.

When the panels are to be positioned along a wall 10c of a post 10, the clip 30 is employed. It is of U-shape with a back wall 30a and two side walls 30b which are spaced from each other by an opening 300 of the approximate thickness of a panel to be inserted therein. The back wall 30a is provided with at least one hook 30d sheared and bent out of the back wall 301: of the clip 30. The hook 30d is adapted to engage one of the round holes 10a along a post 10 at any desired level. In FIG. 1 is indicated how panels 31 and 32 are assembled to side walls for the stacking pallet unit employing the clips 29 and 30.

Although only a single embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it should be clearly understood that the invention can be made in many different ways without departing from the true scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A stacking assembly of a type having a superstructure mounted on a pallet for vertically tiering a plurality of similar pallets thereon, each pallet having longtudinal stringers and spaced deckboards secured transversely on the stringers, the combination comprising, a pair of first pallet support beams disposed in laterally spaced relation with each other, two pairs of vertical posts, a pair of second pallet support beams, each of the second pallet support beams rigidly connecting together a pair of posts so as to define a structural frame, connecting elements rigidly fixed on each of said first pallet support beams and detachably engaged with connecting means on the post for detachably securing the first pallet support beams to the posts and maintain the structural frames in rigid spaced relation corresponding to the spacing of the outermost stringers of the underlying supporting pallet, a foot member attached to the bottom of each post provided with a top plate resting on one of the deckboards of the pallet and provided with flange means projecting inwardly beneath said one of the deckboards and below the top plate with a portion of the deckboard positioned between the top plate and the flange means, the connecting means on the posts being openings in channels having a cross-sectional shape with a front wall connected between two side walls, the side walls being secured to opposite surfaces of a post with the front wall spaced from the post, said openings being in the front wall, the connecting element on the first pallet support beam being in the form of projecting lugs for engaging the openings, the spacing of the front wall of the channels providing clearance spaces for projecting portions of the lugs when they are engaged with openings.

2. A stacking assembly as defined by claim 1 characterized by, said openings having tapered sidewalls which permit a camming action with the lugs for insuring tight connections.

3. A stacking assembly of a type having a superstructure mounted on a pallet for vertically tiering a plurality of similar pallets thereon, each pallet having longitudinal stringers and spaced deckboards secured transversely on the stringers, the combination comprising, a pair of first pallet support beams disposed in laterally spaced relation with each other, two pairs of vertical posts, a pair of second pallet support beams, each of the second pallet support beams rigidly connecting together a pair of posts so as to define a structural frame, connecting elements rigidly fixed on each of said first pallet support beams and detachably engaged with connecting means on the posts for detachably securing the first pallet support beams to the post and maintain the structural frames in rigid spaced relation corresponding to the spacing of the outermost stringers of the underlying supporting pallet, a foot member attached to the bottom of each post pro vided with a top plate resting on one of the deckboards of the pallet and provided with flange means projecting inwardly beneath said one of the deckboards and below the top plate with a portion of the deckboard positioned between the top plate and the flange means, said connecting elements on the pallet support beams being in the form of projecting lugs, and said connecting means with which they detachably engage being in the form of openings having tapered sidewalls which permit a camming action with the lugs for insuring tight connections.

4. A stacking assembly of a type having a superstructure mounted on a pallet for vertically tiering a plurality of similar pallets thereon, each pallet having longitudinal stringers and spaced deckboards secured transversely on the stringers, the combination comprising, a pair of first pallet support beams disposed in laterally spaced relation with each other, two pairs of vertical posts, a pair of sec- 0nd pallet support beams, each of the second pallet support beams rigidly connecting together a pair of posts so as to define a stmlctural frame, connecting elements rigidly fixed on each of said first pallet support beams and detachably engaged with connecting means on the posts for detachably securing the first pallet support beams to the posts and maintain the structural frames in rigid spaced relation corresponding to the spacing of the outermost stringers of the underlying supporting pallet, a foot member attached to the bottom of each post provided with a top plate resting on one of the deckboards of the pallet and provided with flange means projecting inwardly beneath said one of the deckboards and below the top plate with a portion of the deckboard positioned between the top plate and the flange means, said posts having longitudinally extending openings extending along their lengths and clips mounted within said openings, said clips having panel receiving slots for containing edges of a pane as a wall extending between two posts, said clips eacl being in the form of a channel having two side walls con nected together by a bottom wall and horizontal to flanges extending toward each other from the side wall: with the edges of the flanges facing each other and de fining the panel receiving slots, the width of the slot: being approximately equal to the thickness of the panel 5. A stacking assembly as defined by claim 4 character ized by, said clips also having side portions extending away from each other from the side walls by an amoun wider than said longitudinally extending openings in the posts to thereby act as means for limiting the extent 01 entry of the clips into the longitudinally extending open lugs.

6. A stacking assembly of a type having a superstruc ture mounted on a pallet for vertically tiering a plurality of similar pallets thereon, each pallet having longitudina stringers and spaced deckboards secured transversely or the stringers, the combination comprising, a pair of firs pallet support beams disposed in laterally spaced relatior with each other, two pairs of vertical posts, a pair 01 second pallet support beams, each of the second palle support beams rigidly connecting together a pair of post: so as to define a structural frame, connecting element rigidly fixed on each of said first pallet support beams ant detachably engaged with connecting means on the post: for detachably securing the first pallet support beams tc the posts and maintain the structural frames in rigic spaced relation corresponding to the spacing of the outermost stringers of the underlying supporting pallet, a 00 member attached to the bottom of each post providet with a top plate resting on one of the deckboards of the pallet and provided with flange means projecting inwardly beneath said one of the deckboards and below the to; plate with a portion of the deckboard positioned betweer the top plate and the flange means, said posts having vertical longitudinal openings for reception of clips con structed to retain the edges of panels positioned relative to the longitudinal openings, each of the clips having twc side walls connected together by a bottom wall to four a channel shape which extends into a longitudinal opening, top flanges extending toward each other from tht side walls with edges of the flanges facing each other and defining a panel edge receiving slot, the Width of the slot being approximately equal to the thickness of the panel 7. A clip as defined by claim 6 characterized by, saic clip also having side portions extending away from eact other from the side walls by an amount wider than the longitudinal opening in the rigid member to thereby act as means for limiting the extent of entry of the clip intc the longitudinal opening.

8. A stacking assembly of a type having a superstructure mounted on a pallet for vertically tiering a plurality of similar pallets thereon, each pallet having longitudinal stringers and spaced deckboards secured transversely or the stringers, the combination comprising, a pair of first pallet support beams disposed in laterally spaced relation with each other, two pairs of vertical posts, a pair oi second pallet support beams, each of the second pallet support beams rigidly connecting together a pair 0. posts so as to define a structural frame, connecting elements rigidly fixed on each of said first pallet support beams and detachably engaged with connecting means on the posts for detachably securing the first pallet support beams to the posts and maintain the structural frames in rigid spaced relation corresponding to the spacing of the outermost stringers of the underlying supporting pallet, a foot member attached to the bottom of each post provided with 'a top plate resting on one of the deckboards of the pallet and provided with flange means projecting inwardly beneath said one of the deckboards and below the top plate with a portion of the deckboard positioned between the top plate and the flange means, said flange means on one post of a pair of posts directed toward the flange means on the other post of the pair so that the posts of a pair on a single structural frame must be spread away from each other in order to clear the flanges 3f the deckboards and permit them to be removed and positioned beneath the deckboards of the pallet for assembly and disassembly of the structural frame relative to the pallet, the pallet support beams and the posts all being of substantially the same channel shaped crosssection, the connecting means on the posts being openings in channels having a cross-sectional shape with a front wall connected between two side walls, the side walls being secured to opposite surfaces of a post with the front wall spaced from the post, said openings being in the front wall, the connecting elements on the first pallet support beams being in the form of projecting lugs for engaging the openings, the spacing of the front walls of the channels providing clearance spaces for projecting portions of the lugs when they are engaged with the openings.

9. A stacking assembly as defined by claim 8 characterized by, said posts having longitudinally extending openings extending along their lengths and clips mounted within said openings, said clips having panel receiving slots for containing edges of a panel as a wall extending between two posts, said clips each being in the form of a channel having two side walls connected together by a bottom wall and horizontal top flanges extending toward each other from the side walls with the edges of the flanges facing each other and defining the panel receiving slots, the width of the slots being approximately equal to the thickness of the panel, said clips also having side portions extending away from each other from the side walls by an amount wider than said longitudinally extending openings in the posts to thereby act as means for limiting the extent of entry of the clips into the longitudinally extending openings.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,932,477 4/1960 Franks 108-53 2,988,313 6/1961 Ellison 108-53 3,114,339 12/1963 Bayluk 108-53 3,140,673 7/1964 Williams 108-53 3,159,116 12/1964 Skubic 108-53 3,168,060 2/1965 Farley 108-53 3,195,481 7/1965 Verguin 108-53 3,364,883 1/1968 Evans 108-53 BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner.

G. O. FINCH, Assistant Examiner. 

